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This can be chalked up to a pure misunderstanding magnified by the power of Twitter. Deon Cole, one of the writers on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, created some shock waves online after he tweeted yesterday that the show’s writers had been informed that the writing for variety, music or comedy category won’t be televised this year. “Someone with power has kicked us in the nuts again,” he wrote. The situation got additionally heated by the fact that the Primetime Emmys air on NBC, the network that let O’Brien go. But there is no conspiracy. It is true that for the first time, the writing and directing for VMC categories will be presented at the Creative Arts Awards a week before the Primetime Emmy telecast on NBC. That is part of an agreement the TV Academy made with the WGA and DGA last summer when it announced the split of the writing and directing for VMC series or special into separate categories for series and specials. It called for the series and specials categories to alternate between the Primetime and Creative Arts ceremonies. The series categories were awarded during CBS’ Primetime Emmy telecast last year, with the specials awards given out at the Creative Emmys. This year, the roles are reversed, which I’m sure will present a challenge for the NBC telecast producer Don Mischer as the series are way better known and their writing staffs often provide funny clips to go with listing the nominees’ names. By the luck of the draw, of Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien‘s 4 noms, best VMC series and best writing, directing and art direction for VMC series, only the top best series category will be awarded during the main telecast. By the way, the Creative Emmys are also televised. They air on E! in an edited-down version.
UPDATE: I loved this comment by a reader who identifies himself as a nominee in the writing for VMC series category (His nomination is well-deserved I might say, judging by how funny his comment is): ”I won’t be going. This is fucked up. The only reason to go to the Emmys is because you might wind up peeing in the bathroom next to someone famous. And the chance of that happening at the Little People Emmys is slim to none. Just glad I found out before I bought a new suit.”
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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That kinda blows. Especially when they spend half the show with those mini-series awards (shocker, whatever aired on HBO will win.)
Can those be taken off the program and awards for shows people actually watch go back on?
geeze… someones an hbo hater. yeah let’s not have on tom hanks and the pacific and al pacino for “jack”… let’s have instead all those great shows that airs on network teevee
because we should celebrate a mess of a rehash and a topical story story 15 years too late to be topical?
What about the fans who were looking forward to turning on the NBC awards and seeing Conan’s writing team (maybe) win an Emmy? We count for less than some back room deal made a year ago between Hollywood powers? I guess ratings aren’t the be-all end-all that we’ve been told. As for E!, I can’t see Conan or the other late-night hosts really sitting through two hours of hair and makeup awards, can you? I bet they won’t attend.
I’ll bet they DO attend.
I’ll put up $100. We’ll ask Nikki to hold the cash, and I WILL take more if you won’t to go higher than $100.
These Conan writers are starting to sound like entitled jerks. You got nominated. Show a little class and be grateful.
Yeah, because they have no reason at all to suspect that NBC might not want them/Conan to win on their network.
Actually there are 90 nominated writers in this category who are pretty upset about being pulled from primetime at this late date after already having made their travel plans. Remember, three of the nominated shows are New York-based. Until this week, the VMC series writing award was in the NBC telecast lineup. By the way, I’m not sure to whom those 90 writers should address their classy notes of shivering gratitude. It’s my impression each of them earned his or her nomination. (Yes, “his or her”–there are actually several female writers nominated this year. Shame we won’t get to see that.)
You really don’t know who they should thank? Really? Think about it for a minute. I’m sure it will come to you.
“It’s my impression each of them earned his or her nomination.”
You sound like an entitled jerk. Do you seriously dispute that? What do you think “entitled” means? Look it up and then look at that sentence again.
“Entitled jerks”?!?! I can name most of the writers for Conan. Who can name the writers for any other late night show? I didn’t think so. Yeah, he treats them like talented people who deserve to reach their potential. You’re right…who do they think they are?! What a bunch of a-holes.
Katie Milner
Considering that “miniseries” has two nominees this year, couldn’t that category have gotten shunted to the Creative Arts show?
But NBC clearly “got lucky” this time around. I can only imagine what the Internet would have done with Judd Hirsch winning the Emmy for TAXI after it had been canceled by NBC.
This change is a shame because the filmed bits the writers for those shows put together that roll during their list of names are usually one of the only reliably funny moments in the primetime emmy telecast. conans’ writers especially, but all of the shows are pretty amusing.
It’s like Glee getting kicked off the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade all over again.
The TV Academy Executive Committee and the DGA decided this was the way to go and pushed it through with the WGA. Take one more writing award off the primetime show. This plan was made almost two years ago. If these writers bothered to read the info from the Academy they would know this. Take it up with your Guild and the anti writer President of the TV Academy John Shafner. All he wants is to take writing awards off the prime time show. That is his lifelong goal along with a lot of Exec committee members of the Academy that aren’t writers.
There is still anti strike sentiment and anti cable sentiment and the Academy Exec Committee members still want to exact their pound of flesh.
It is writers who create the content that gives them their jobs.
But that is meaningless to this group of numb nuts.
Someday I hope Nikke will pull back the veil on this organization instead of letting them feed Nellie press releases.
Don Mischer was 100% behind taking ALL the writing awards off last years show and was pissed when it didn’t happen. Now he wants this one on for the entertainment value. Can’t have it both ways Academy.
I refuse to watch television until EVERYONE ON EARTH apologizes to Conan O’Brien. I will continue to write nasty comments about Jay Leno and NBC every time any story even remotely related appears on a blog or news site somewhere. There is nothing in life more important. I have found my calling.
It is not accurate to say the Creative Arts Emmys air on E! First of all, they are not live on E, they air on a different day. Second, they condense the three to four hour show into one hour. Watch it some time. It’s absurd — basically they just announce all the winners. I’ll bet you the ratings for it are shockingly low.
I only care about Jewish writers getting seen in primetime if they’re not Jewish then I don’t want to see them on TV.
I’m nominated in this category.
I won’t be going.
This is fucked up.
The only reason to go to the Emmys is because you might wind up peeing in the bathroom next to someone famous. And the chance of that happening at the Little People Emmys is slim to none.
Just glad I found out before I bought a new suit.
I guess he’s using a fake name, Nellie…no Jake’s (or Jacob’s) here:
http://www.emmys.com/nominations?tid=94
Ted-stop grinding your ax – and use some basic television programming logic. The goal here is to celebrate the year in television with an Emmy telecast that viewers might actually want to watch. No one has their job given to them by a bunch of writers – we’re able to make a living because of the audience. Don’t forget them. Whether we like it or not the deal is with the four broadcast networks. Of course Mischer can have it both ways. He has to assess the year and make the best show he can for a broadcast network audience. That’s what he gets paid to do. If that isn’t working for you – have a rubber chicken luncheon and celebrate your awards with your similarly minded friends who will outnumber the viewers who might possible tune in to your idea. I’ll go with Mischer and maybe keep some viewers interested in watching TV. Maybe then, we’ll all have a job next year.